Book-holder



(No Model.) B. I. GILMAN.

BOOK HOLDER.

No. 529,442. Patented-Nov. 20, 1894.

I SH 363 gAII/Fmm' THE nonms PETERS 90.. imoYo-uma, WASHINGTON, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrlcn.

BENJAMIN IVES GILMAN, OF BROOKLINE; MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,442, dated November 20, 1894.

' Application filed June 21, 1894, Serial No. 515,214- (No model.)

To all whom it Wtay concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN IVES GIL- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brookline, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bookllolders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip hold a number of large books which are used for reference, in an inclined position and on their backs, so that any one of the books may be readily opened, and held open for consultation, without removing the book from the holder.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of a portable and adjust-able book holder, as will be hereinafter fully described, and the nature thereof indicated by the claim.

Referring to the drawings:Figure 1 is a side view of my book holder, showing four books held thereon, with one book open. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the book holder shown in Fig. 1, with the books removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through one of the end frames, on line 3, 3, Fig. 2. Fig. a is a vertical cross section, on line 4, 4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross section through one of the end frames, taken at a point indicated by line 5, 5, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow, same figure, and Fig. 6 is an end view of the two frames in position for transportation.

In the accompanying drawings my book holder consists essentially of two rigid frames or bodies 1 and 2, made in the general form of triangular prisms, of a length or width corresponding to the desired width of the book holder. One of the sides of the prism, preferably the longest side I), rests on the surface on which the book holder is sup ported. The next longest side 0, forms the inclined support, upon which the end books in the holder rest, as shown in Fig. 1. The frames 1 and 2 preferably'consist of six cross bars a, as shown in Fig. 3, attached at their ends to the two ends or sides e, of the frame. Preferably let into grooves or recesses in the outer edges of the ends 6, are pieces of rubber, or other material 61, as shown in Fig. 4., which project slightly beyond the plane edges of the ends, to furnish a friction surface, and prevent the framesl and 2 from slipping or moving on their supporting surface. The frames 1 and 2 are connected and held, at any desired distance apart, by a flexible connection consisting of a strip or sheet 3, of non stretchable flexible material, preferably cloth, of a width a little less than the widthor length of the frames 1 and 2, as shown in Fig. 2.

The ends of the strip 3 are preferably adjustably attached to each frame 1 and 2, so that the frames may be moved away from or toward each other, to lengthen or shorten the book holder, and held in position, by extending through a longitudinal slot or opening 4, in the rod 4:, located within each frame 1 and 2, journaled in the ends e thereof, as shown in Fig. 5.

The ends of the rod l extend through th ends e, of the frames 1 and 2, and one end of the rod has a thumb nut 5 fast thereon, by which the rod 4 is turned, in one direction or in the other, to Wind the strip 3, as shown in Fig. 3, to draw the frames 1 and 2 toward each other, or to unwind the strip 3, so that the frames 1 and 2 may be moved apart. The other end of the rod 4. is provided with a removable thumb nut 6, which may be turned on or off the rod 4:. After the rod 4 has been turned by the thumb nut 5, to wind or unwind the strip 3, as desired, the thumb nut 6 is turned on to the rod, to bear against the end of the frame, or against a washer 7, to prevent the rod 4 from turning.

The thumb nut 6 may be turned off of the rod at, and the rod removed from the frames 1 and 2, if desired.

In case it is desired to change the position of the frames, relatively to each other, to use the book holder as a book rack, for holding books in an upright position, or as a book support for a single book, or to secure the frames together for transportation, as shown in Fig 6, one end of the strip 3 is withdrawn from the-longitudinal slot 4', in one of the rods 4, and one of the frames put in the desired position relatively to the other frame, and then the end-of thestrip is reinserted in the slot, and the rod turned, to wind the strip thereon, to hold the frames in the desired position, the thumb nut6 being turned up to prevent therod 4 from turning.

The advantages of my book-holder will bereadily appreciated by those skilled in the art. It is of very simple construction, andinexpensive to make, and may be used for a number of'purposes in connection with holding and supporting books, and is especially adapted to hold a number of 'largebooks on their backs, and in an inclined position so that any one-of them may be opened, and

' heldopen for consultation, without removing any of the books from the'holder.

It will be understood that the details of construction of the ends or frames of the book holder, may be varied, if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In"a-book holder, the combination with two triangular frames, and a flexible connection between said frames, of means for connecting one or both ends of said connection to said frames, to vary the length of the holder. consisting of a rod journaled in one of the frames, and provided with a longitudinal slot thereimadaptedto receive one end of said connection, and means for turning said rod to wind or unwindsaidconnection, andameans for preventing said-irodfrom turning, substantially as set forth.

BENJAMIN IVES GILMAN. Witnesses:

JOHN O. 'DEWE'Y, MARY J. GALVIN. 

